Doing right by the grunge icons in reimagining their hymn.
It's damn near impossible to replicate the impact that ALICE IN CHAIN's Dirt (1992) had, but it's sure as hell possible to pay homage to it all with a noteworthy twist from some of the strongest bands of today. Among those bands is Denver's KHEMMIS, who share their soulful rendition of Down In A Hole, adding new layers of doom depth to a track renowned to many. The band's cover is part of the upcoming Dirt [Redux] covers album by way of Magnetic Eye Records on September 18th, which features new takes on the legendary composition.
KHEMMIS guitarist/singer Ben Hutcherson comments:
"I've loved this band since I discovered grunge and hard rock in my early teens. When we were presented with the opportunity to cover my favorite song from one of my favorite bands, I checked a pretty big item off of my bucket list. It's an honor to take such a powerful piece of music and reimagine it through the creative lens of this band. We knew we wanted to stay true to parts of the song, particularly the chorus, but that we also needed to make it our own. Alice in Chains has long been one of the most important bands in my life. Though they're (understandably) associated with the Seattle grunge scene, their music carries visceral heft that, for me, wasn't present for the other bands of that music world. 'Dirt' was, and remains, a landmark album of bleakness paired with incredible songwriting, and 'Down in a Hole' Was one of the first songs I learned to play on my dad's old Takamine acoustic guitar back in '98 or '99. The fact that a song like that works as well, if not better, on an acoustic guitar as on a distorted electric guitar is a testament to the power of what those four guys created together."
Dirt (Redux) tracklist:
01. THOU - Them Bones
02. LOW FLYING HAWKS - Dam That River
03. HIGH PRIEST - Rain When I Die
04. KHEMMIS - Down in a Hole
05. THESE BEASTS - Sickman
06. HOWLING GIANT - Rooster
07. FORMING THE VOID - Junkhead
08. SOMNURI - Dirt
09. BACKWOODS PAYBACK - God Smack
10. BLACK ELECTRIC - Iron Gland
11. - (16) - Hate to Feel
12. VOKONIS - Angry Chair
13. THE OTOLITH - Would?
Stream Down in a Hole below and pre-order your copy of the release HERE.